Source
Source for: John Park McClurken, 26 SEP 1854 - 04 APR 1943
Index
Birth source: S163 Narratives of Randolph County McC - McM. Page 64
Birth source: S220Page: page 297
Text: 9/14/1855
Birth source: S19Text: Mary McClurken
Occupation source: S220Page: page 298
Text: teacher of Music at Oakdale, Ill.
Residence source: S14Text: Mary Cherry McClurken
Event source: S265Page: The McClurken Legacy
Text: The early history of this property goes back to land owned by Laura and John Parks McClurken who came to La Mesa in 1905. Their son, John A. McClurken was on the chain of title. (Some sources misidentify John P.
as James Parks McClurken.) After John P.’s death, their son John A. and his wife Marjorie apparently continued the real estate business started by his parents. They were the owners of record in August 1938.
More information is known about John Parks and Laura than the next generation who sold the Mt. Helix lots. It was from their history that the community developed and thus the information that was found is included in this report to provide a better appreciation for the roots of the community. John Parks was a teacher, newspaper editor, and pioneer realtor. He and Laura owned a large tract of property on top of Mt. Helix, including a 1200- acre ranch that they eventually partitioned into Mt.
Helix Calavo Gardens.
References to the McClurkens generally arise in histories of the Mt. Helix Cross and Easter Sunrise ceremonies, which note that McClurken purchased his lots for $1.20 acre and that he was known as Mt. Helix’s first known resident (apparently ignoring Laura McClurken’s presence for posterity) (Newsletter of the Mt. Helix Park Foundation, August 2002).
From her obituary, we learn that Laura was born in St. Louis and lived in the Spring Valley, La Mesa, and El Cajon area for 55 years. She was a graduate of Texas Christian College in speech and drama. She eventually went to New York City to attend a Bible school. She and John Parks McClurken married on May 23, 1901 in Illinois where he worked as the editor of the Coulterville News.
The 1900 U.S. Census had listed him as age 44 (born in 1855), single, living with his widowed mother Mary in Randolph, Illinois (Coulterville precinct) where he worked as a real estate agent. From 1904-1905 Laura taught at the mission school at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, which in that period was still Indian Territory. In 1905 they moved to Spring Valley, California where they had gold mining and other interests. They lived in that area until 1925 when they moved to Los Angeles. The 1910 Census shows they lived on Eleventh Street with son Johnathan W (7), Theodore P. (2), daughter Mary E. (4) and John’s widowed mother Mary (75). He listed his occupation as “agent / real estate,” that they had been married 8 years, and that his age was 45 (it was really 55).
Her obituary states that in the early 1900s she “was credited with keeping Graham Memorial Presbyterian Church of Coronado in operation during the illness of its minister. She was a familiar figure as she rode a bicycle to call upon members.” (April 2, 1969, San Diego Union, obituary, Mrs. Laura McClurken, 91, of 1349 La Cresta Blvd., El Cajon).
Her church interests also extended to the Golden Hill United Presbyterian Church, La Jolla United Presbyterian Church, and First United Presbyterian Church. The McClurken family remained in Los Angeles until 1933. At some point in this period Mary’s activism led her to the position of state vice-president of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union. The family’s Presbyterian beliefs continued to the next generation, as their son Paul became Reverend Paul T. McClurken, and served as the pastor of the United Presbyterian Church at Northampton, Massachusetts. Their other children were Mrs. Mary E. Forsyth of La Jolla, Dr. Mark J. McClurken of Los Angeles, and John A. McClurken of San Diego. (Obituary for John Parks McClurken, San Diego Union, April 5, 1943)
Today the Calavo Gardens area of Mt. Helix in La Mesa is known as an elite tract where hill top homes have expansive views of the surrounding valleys. Mt. Helix is now considered by realtors and home buyers as one of the most “upscale” of the subdivisions in La Mesa. Many of the large lots feature custom homes designed in a mix of Spanish, Mediterranean, Early California, and Ranch styles interspersed with new estates in a variety of modern styles.
Although the Mt. Helix area started to develop in the 1900s, the McClurkens involvement on their 1200 acre ranch and other acerage on Mt. Helix are not well documented except through deed transactions.
Event source: S220Page: page 297
Text: McCLURKIN, JOHN PARK [Journalist and Promoter.]
Born near Oakdale, Washington Co., Ill., Sept. 14, 1855; graduate of Business College of Valpraiso, Ind.; teacher near Oakdale, Ill., '83-'92; editor of the Republican, Coulterville, Ill., '92-'01; clerk in New York City, '01-'03; Secretary and Treasurer of the Colorado Gold Mining and Milling Co., San Diego, Cal., '05--. An elder in the R. P. Church, '89-'05. Married Miss Laura Adams of Coulterville, Ill., May 23, 1901. Address: Coronado, San Diego Co., Cal.
Death source: S163 Narratives of Randolph County McC - McM. Page 64
Residence source: S11Text: William McClurken
Residence source: S19Text: Mary McClurken
Residence source: S12Text: Mary McClurken
page 49; line 25
Event source: S241Page: pages 380 & 381
Text: JOHN P. McCLURKEN is a bright, intelligent
young writer, who is making the Coulterville
Republican a wide awake and well
managed newspaper. He was born in
Washington County, Ill., and is the son of William
McClurken, a native of South Carolina, where his
birth occurred in 1828. The father accompanied
his parents on their removal to this state in 1833,
and settled in Washington County, where he grew
to man's estate, and where his father was the owner
of a large tract of land.
Miss Mary Cherry, as the mother of our subject
was known in maidenhood, is a native of Randolph
County, and the daughter of the late George
Cherry, a pioneer of this section, Here she was married
to William McClurken, and soon afterward
they removed to Washington County, this state,
where they were residing at the time of the father's
decease, in the fall of 1861. The mother is still
living (1894) and has attained the age of sixtytwo.
Their family consists of two living children,
our subject and Maggie E., Mrs. James Torrens, of
Washington County. The parents were members
of the Covenanter Church, in which body they
were active workers.
Our subject was born September 26, 1854, in
this state, and remained upon the home farm until
sixteen years of age. Then with his mother and
sister he went to Colorado with the St. Louis Western
Colony, of which their pastor, Rev. A. C. Todd,
was President. While in that state he worked in
the Evans' Journal office. After a sojourn of two
years in the west, he returned home, and for a few
years gave his entire time and attention to the
completion of his education, attending successively
Geneva College, atNorthwood, Ohio; Monmouth
College, this state; the Northern Normal and the
Valparaiso Normal, in Indiana, thus fitting himself
to occupy any position in life. Afterward he
taught school for five years, and on July 4, 1891,
he became the editor and manager of the Republican,
in Coulterville, which he is conducting very successfully.
The paper is non-partisan in politics,
and since Mr. McClurken has had charge of it, the
list of subscribers has been largely increased. Our
subject is a member of the Covenanter Church, and
is an Eider of the congregation at Oakdale, and
also takes an active part in Sunday-school work.